Dealing with “SCAM” customers on eBay

Posted by in ebay tips | 14 comments

As eBay sellers we know that 99% of all customers are good honest people, but…there are exceptions…

Ever have a customer on eBay tell you that you shipped them the wrong item even though you shipped them the right one?

Ever have a customer tell you that they did not receive their merchandise even though tracking number shows delivered?

Ever have a buying customer falsely call your designer item a fake and demand a refund (holding you hostage)?

Ever have a customer bid up an item and then back out?

Here are some creative solutions I’ve gathered from the forums of MySilentTeam.com (where over 1,400 active online entrepreneurs share ideas, content, and encouragement about eBay and all sorts of other online income ideas).

Are some of these ideas mean or over the top? You decide…but the bottom line is they all work and help protect sellers from bad customers!

SCENARIO 1:
A customer on eBay tells you that you shipped them the wrong item even though you shipped them the right one

This buyer is likely looking to replace their own broken merchandise with new merchandise they got from you! Combat it by marking every item you send out with invisible ink! When the buyer returns the item look for the ink. If the buyer returns an item that doesn’t have your ink on it get eBay trust and safety on the horn right away and consider getting the police involved. POSSIBLE TWIST: Before the customer even sends you the item indicate to them that you mark all of your merchandise in a “eBay approved” way and that they must return the EXACT item to you in the EXACT condition in order to get a refund. This will deter them from trying to scam you with an old broker version.

SCENARIO 2:
A customer tells you that they did not receive their merchandise even though a tracking number shows it as delivered

Respond to the buyer that you have an “Excellent relationship with the manufacturer of your product,” and that you have the “Serial Numbers Written Down,” and will “Report the item to the police in their city as stolen so that they can start an investigation!” This works especially good if you sell electronics. Buyer will likely email you back the next day to say miraculously “I found the item,” or “turns out my neighbor signed for it. Next, block that bidder from your auctions. This strategy can help with SCENARIO 1 as well.

SCENARIO 3:
A buying customer falsely call your designer item a fake and demands a refund (holding you hostage)

Your email reply:

Hello. I’m sorry you are not happy with your purchase. All of my items come with a money back guarantee and can be returned for a refund of the purchase price less a 15% restocking fee for any reason. I am happy to offer and honor this guarantee for my buyers.

Being you are so unhappy with your purchase I will gladly refund your entire purchase price, shipping and refund you the extra shipping it costs you to send it back. You can send it to the address at the bottom of this email. Please include the eBay item number on a separate piece of paper and enclose it with the bag. Upon receiving it I will issue you an immediate refund via PayPal and send you an email letting you know I received the bag and that your refund has been sent.

I especially enjoy selling BRAND NEW AUTHENTIC ******* products. I assure you that yours is AUTHENTIC. I have the receipts to prove it and my reputation on Ebay speaks for itself. It is ILLEGAL to sell replicas and I do not, have not and never will sell them. I abhor the slime that partake in such practices. I work very very hard to make my listings attractive, shop for merchandise at legit sources, run to the post office and in general operate my Ebay business above board.

The store I purchase my ***** items from is store # 05450. The operator at the time of purchase was Jamie and the associate who checked me out was # 999954500. The date was 7/30/10. The time was 8:23pm. the register was #003. The code on the bottom of the receipt under the bar code is 0251780545000309042007. This was transaction #25178 and the store phone number is 555 748 5151.

I appreciate your concerns and I hope you can appreciate mine. I am glad to end this transaction through mutual agreement and refund your money but at the same time your notion that I sell anything but AUTHENTIC ***** is simply misguided and insulting to all of my honest hard work. Furthermore, it could be damaging to my reputation and I take that very seriously. Respectfully,

Name
eBay name
Phone

According to MySilentTeam.com member ‘uncledearest’ this strategy worked almost 100% of the time in getting the buyer to change their mind, keep the merchandise, and back down.

SCENARIO 4:
A customer bids up an item and then backs out after the auction is closed.

This ‘slightly mean, but fair’ solution to this scenario has also been called ‘fun’ by some that have boldly tried it. I first learned this trick from Terry Gibbs, but have never actually used it myself. Let me know if you do try it and what results you get.

It goes something like this…

Bill bids up your item on eBay and wins the auction for $200. He then shoots you an email full of excuses, explanations or reasons why he can’t actually pay for the item he just legally obligated himself to.

eBay does have ways of dealing with this, but they don’t always work. Try this first next time if you’d like:

Use a different email address (that can’t be tracked to you) and send the winner (Bill) an email that looks something like this:

I noticed that you recently won an ****** on eBay for $200. I would love to pay you $240 for that if you can send it to me quickly. Let me know once you have it and I’ll paypal you funds immediately and arrange shipment.

Now you can expect that Bill just might be able to afford the item suddenly.

Dirty pool? Yep- that’s why I’ve never used it, BUT, I’ll bet that some readers of this newsletter are VERY willing to scam a scammer and I’d love to hear how it goes for you.

Leave a comment!

Special thanks to MySilentTeam.com members ‘wholesalecoin’, ‘Uncledearest’, and old friend Terry Gibbs for their contributions to this article.

  • http://www.activemassager.com Jerry Gunning

    Jim,

    Thanks for publishing your Scam the Scammer gems. I particularly like SCENARIO 2: I have been down that road before and even though Paypal investigated and had all the proof that it was delivered, it still took about six month for me to be refunded.

    Jim please keep these gems coming, it is fun to hear when a dirt bag get a taste of their own medicine.

    Respect
    Jaydee

  • http://(None) Dr. Herff Moore

    Hey Brother Jim, I have found ALL of your ideas and suggestions to be truthful and helpful, since I started reading your Monthly Newsletters in about 2006. On purpose, you avoid negative and critical remarks, regardless of who you are writing. And you give much encouragement and praise to eBay for its long standing integrity, as well. Thank you for a long history of accuracy, also. I am indebted to you for your help. Dr. Herff Moore, 07/30/10 [Revised]

  • Angela

    I sold a stunning amethyst ring to a slimeball in south Texas – genuine article as I do not sell fake or costume jewellery. He stated he did not receive it, escalated it to a claim the same day and I was forced to refund him, despite the fact that I had a tracking number and proof that the item was delivered.

    This was two years ago and I have never forgotten him – kept the paperwork in case I ever ever run across him again.

    And yes, of course, I eliminated him from ever bidding on any of my items again.

    But being called a crook still hurts even after two years and it cost me over $300.

    May bad luck dog him for the rest of his days!!

    Angela

  • Mary

    Jim

    Thanks to you and the MySilentTeam subscribers for answers to being scammed on eBay.

    As an eBayer who would never do these things to a seller, I have also been reluctant to start selling…although I have considered it for years. But after reading a number of horror stories about buyers scamming sellers, holding them hostage for feedback, etc…I just never started selling as I felt I could not afford this down side. It is good to know there are options and ideas for handling that work. Not sure I could do that last one either, but fun to hear about.

    Thanks again for this and all the good information you share with us over the years. Top notch, trustworthy and appreciated.

  • http://www.lingerieexposure.com Jessica the Lingerie Gal

    I just loved this newsletter. Exactly what I needed as a few times a year this does happen to me. Now I know exactly how to properly handle these situations. Thank you Jim for sharing.

  • http://mikeswebmarketing.com Mike Dibos

    The invisible ink idea is ingenious! Using it is one thing, but then mentioning to the buyer before the return about marking in an “eBay approved way” is a great deterrent.

    Luckily, scenarios 1 to 3 haven’t happened to me yet, but #4 has. Sending out that email looks like an innovative solution to that problem.

    Mike

  • Karen

    I really appreciate the tips. They will come in handy. I have learned so much from your newsletters. I don’t think Scenario 4 will work anymore. Ebay doesn’t let you see who won anymore. They give you a code name but it won’t take you to the buyer’s profile.

    (reply from Jim): When I look at the “My eBay” page I can see the email addresses of all buying customers. Maybe that’s just a feature of “Selling Manager Pro” which I use. It’s a cheap eBay seller ad on I suggest every serious eBay seller use.

  • Charlene

    I think those are great ideas. I had someone on ebay try to scam me once; told me that ALL of the items I’d sent him broke and sent them back to me including a list of a whole bunch of other things I could send him in replace of the broken items…

    I basically, let him send me back the broken items (which were NOT the items I sent him) and promptly closed the paypal account attached to my credit card since I knew he was going to try and do a chargeback…

  • Ken

    Reply to Karen (and Jim). Selling Manager Pro does what Jim says, But Selling Manager (free from eBay) Also gives you user name and email address of winning bidder. It also shows you winning bidder’s full name and address in the checkout area.

  • http://www.johnantaya.com John

    Thanks for the information. I’ve never had that problem but there is always the first time.

    Thank You

    John

  • http://marketingwithrob.com Rob Brooks

    Where do buy invisible ink? And how do you read it?

    (reply from Jim): Great questions…I’ve never used it! I remember my boy scout days…we used lemon juice… ;0) I know there’s a better idea out there though. Hopefully someone will chime in with a real idea.

  • http://www.terryconti.com Terry Conti

    Hi Jim, very cool ideas. Food for thought.
    Terry Conti

  • Janice

    Do a search on eBay…you’ll probably find one. lol Seriously though, I searched on Google for “invisible ink pen” and found them for as low as $1.33.

  • Elizabeth

    These are great ideas.

    I’m really interested in the invisible ink as I’m selling high ticket items on ebay and don’t want a buyer trying to scam me.

    Has anyone had any success with invisible ink? I’m be interested to know.